There are supposed to be 81 accessible beaches, 30 with public facilities, spread around the island. From white sand to black rock, there is some kind of beach for everyone. All beaches are publicly owned and have right-of-way access, if you can find it. Finding a place to park can be more of a problem. Do not leave anything of value in your car!

The more developed beaches have rinse off showers, drinking water, restroom a and picnic tables. Some have children's swim or play areas. Maui's beaches are generally peaceable, but use good judgment and reasonable caution. "Never turn your back on the sea." Hawaiians say. Swells come in sets and can be big. Never swim alone and use the buddy system. Duck under breaking waves. Never swim against a strong current, swim across it. Small kids should be watched at all times and wear flotation devices. Respect the yellow and red warning flags. That said, "Have a wonderful time!

BeachesWailuku to Paia

Waihee Beach Park

Here is a beach with a different experience for you. Just below the Waihee Municipal Golf Course. Brown sand and rubble from the wide coral reef. Good beachcombing. Often windy when the trades are up, but good swimming and snorkeling on a calm day.

Kanaha Park

Jenny, Ted and Katy loved this mile long, peaceful sand and rock beach tucked in behind the airport. You can be in the water before your rental car even warms up. Great place for kids and picnics with paved parking, restrooms, tables, grills and showers. Some windsurfers launch from here.

Baby Beach

This is really the west end of Baldwin Beach and a great favorite with families since the reef forms a giant, shallow, salt water pond where kids can paddle and play. Can be windy.

H. A. Baldwin Park

Where else can you find an uncrowded white sand beach with a consistent shore break for bodysurfing. This popular park has restrooms, showers, a pavilion, picnic tables and grills. A busy place on the weekends that still leaves plenty of empty beach for strolling or sunning. This is where we take a Sunday walk and picnic on the beach. You never can tell what will turn up.

Ho'okipa Beach Park

There's not much beach here but folks come mainly for the excellent surfing and windsurfing. The internationally famous windsurfing conditions bring competitors and watchers from all over the world. Great place to join (or just watch) the world's best windsurfers. Restrooms, showers and four pavilions with tables and grills where some mellow partying goes on.

BeachesEast Maui

Wai'anapanapa State Park

A black sand beach that is part of the State Park. Good for swimming when it is calm, otherwise for strong swimmers only. The Park has full facilities, campsites, cabins and some spooky caves.

Hana Beach Park

Clean brown sand beach within the shelter of the bay. good swimming and snorkeling. The park has a pavilion, picnic tables, restrooms, showers and a boat ramp.

Hamoa Beach

This is the perfect tropical beach of fantasy. Good swimming and bodysurfing. The pavilion is for the Hotel Hana Maui guests but there is a restroom for the rest of us.

Seven Pools - Oheo Gulch

Forget the beach, rocky and dangerous. But swimming in the pools, actually 24 of them, is fine. You have to watch out for flash floods during heavy rain. You can camp here and the hiking is fine.

BeachesWest Maui

Beach Fact: A handful of sand contains about 10,000 grains.

Papalaua State Wayside Park

A long narrow beachwith a rocky and shallow bottom. Has picnic tables, barbecue, toilets

Ukemehame Beach Park

This narrow roadside park is a favorite of local fishermen and a good spot to swim. The ocean is shallow with patches of sand and rock. No amenities.

Olowalu Beach

Excellent spot for snorkeling and scuba diving and the site of the famous Olowalu massacre. There are petroglyphs and the remains of a heiau. No amenities.

Launiupoko Beach Park

Pockets of sand and rock and nice places to sit under the shade trees and picnic. Barbecues, picnic tables, showers, restrooms.

Puamana Beach Park

Good spot for a relaxing picnic just before you enter Lahaina. I was sitting here having lunch when this dude pulled up in his plumbers truck, grabbed his board and rode a few swells before he had his lunch. That's the Maui lifestyle. Barbecues, picnic tables, showers, restrooms.

Lahaina Beach

You can snorkel, scuba dive and surf right at the end of the harbor from this rocky beach along Front Street. Not much for swimming, though.

Wahikuli County Park

Excellent swimming and snorkeling make this a favorite with local folks. Convenient with restrooms, showers, grills and picnic tables.

Ka'anapali Beach

Long, clean, curving beach goes on forever. Excellent conditions for swimming and beginning windsurfers. The waters are usually calm. Behind you is the famous Ka'anapali Resort. At the far east end is Black Rock and the Sheraton Resort where divers fling themselves dramatically into the sea as part of the evening fun. At the other end is Hanakaoo Beach Park also called Sand Box Beach.

Honokawai Beach Park

A narrow white sand beach that is a good spot for children to play in the water. There is good snorkeling past the rocks. Swimming is only so so. Parking, restroom, berbecues, picnic tables, showers.

Napili Bay

Long white sand beach between two rocky points offers excellent swimming, snorkeling and bodysurfing, especially during the winter months. No public facilities.

Kapalua Beach

One of the safest and most beautiful beaches on Maui. Rated #1 in the country by the University of Maryland's Coastal Research Lab. Great snorkeling and scuba diving. The beach shack rents everything. Picnic under the palms. Showers and restrooms.

D.T. Fleming Beach Park

Good spot for most water sports although it can be hazardous in some conditions. Keep your eye on the swells. There is a lifeguard, restrooms and parking here.

Mokuleia Beach (Slaughterhouse)

A good spot for snorkeling and swimming during summer months. Big waves in the winter make if a favorite spot for bodysurfing but hazaedous for other water sports. That's not why it's called Slaughterhouse. There actually was a slaughterhouse here but it was torn down in the '60s.

Honolua Bay

This is a beautiful shoreline but the ocean is hard to get to and the swinmming is hazardous. Admire but take great care.

Beaches South Maui

Maalaea Bay Beach

Not much of swimming beach but a favories of surfers. The winds are usually strong which is nice for windsurfers but not for picnicking. Good flat, hard-packed beach for a jog.

Mai'poina'oe'lau Beach Park

This is the other end of the miles long ribbonn of sand betweeen Maalaea and Kihei. Little windy in the afternoon. This is a fine beach for swimming with a shallow dropoff and few rocks. Also known as Veteran's Beach. Showers, picnic tables and restrooms.

Kalepolepo Beach

Once used as a fish pond, now makes a nice wading pool for kids. This was once a Hawaiian village. The building is the newly renovated Pacific Whale Foundation.

Kalama Beach Park

This huge (36 acre) park is where events happen in Kihei. Good for sports with a soccer, baseball, volleyball, basketball and tennis facilities. Pavilions, restrooms, showers, picnic tables, grills.

Kama'ole Beach I, II, III

Great sand beaches running along the Kihei road. All three beaches are local favorites with good swimming, lifeguards, picnic and public facilities. Kama'ole II has a playground. The reef between II and III is good for snorkeling.

Keawakapu Beach

A little hard to find but with excellent swimming. You see the soccer moms here with A SUV load of kids. Great place for a picnic under the full moon. Shower.

Mokapu Beach Park

Lush landscaping and another lovely sand beach to play on or swim from. Showers and restroom.

Ulua Beach Park

Like most of the beaches along here there is a fancy condo just behind this stretch of white sand and ocean. Showers and restroom.

Polo Beach Park

Abbreviated from the Hawaiian "Ke Ono o Polo" Also known as "Dead Horse Beach." A small park with showers and restrooms hosts this long wide beach near the Kea Lani Resort. High surf can cause currents and a strong backwash.

Just over Red Hill from Big Beach is Little Beach which is often used for nude sunbathing. Do so at your own risk since nude bathing is illegal in Hawaii and once in awhile someone gets busted.

La Perouse Bay

More for fishermen than swimmers, there are a series of small sand beaches between rocky lava outcroppings. Entry to the ocean is tricky, especially during heavy surf. The French explorer Admiral Compte de la Perouse was the first Westerner to discover Maui in 1786. He landed here, describing the place as having a "burning climate," the sailed off to be eaten by cannibals in the New Hebrides, or so they say.